Jumping Into the Picture
by KILLHTETITANS
Summary: Hinata Ema and Nakamura Yumi are best friends. So when Yumi needs a place to stay, and Ema is moving in with her new stepbrothers, Yumi is offered a place at the Asahina Household. Now with a girl (and one, unexpected extra) in the picture, what will happen? ((Rated T for swearing. Time line is pushed back, so everyone is a year younger))
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, Ema-chan, are you sure your family is alright with me living with you guys?" Nakamura Yumi was a 15 year old girl with waist-length black hair, a fringe that kept falling into her face, and dull brown eyes, which were currently covered up by purple contacts. She was Hinata Ema's best friend for the past.. 10 years maybe? And they were so close, almost like sisters. "I mean, you didn't have to offer, we could've always video chatted..." Yumi smiled sadly. Previously, she was to move all the way to America, with her aunt, against her will, if she wasn't able to find a stable living situation with a guardian over 18. Why you ask? Her mother had made the decision to move to the US, in order to find a new job, and her father had already passed years back. Yumi didn't want to leave of course, she didn't want to start over, and certainly not in a foreign country. But Ema was being so kind, and had offered Yumi a place with her and her new step brothers.

"No, Yu-chan, I wanted you to move in with us!" Ema placed a hand on Yumi's shoulder, giving her a stern look. "I couldn't just let my best friend move all the way to the other side of the world, could I?"

"I guess..." Yumi shrugged, still feeling a bit guilty, and feeling like she was imposing on Ema's family. "Wait, you never did tell me much about your new family," she said as they neared the train station. "What are they like?"

"I... Don't know..." Ema admitted, scratching the back of her head lightly. "I haven't actually... Met them yet..."

"Eh?! And they let me move in with you?!" Yumi couldn't believe it, Ema hadn't even met her step siblings and she had already asked for her to move in? "Now I'll feel even worse..."

"Yu-chan!" Ema swatted Yumi's shoulder, the two getting out their train tickets in order to board. "Don't worry! I spoke with Papa, who asked Miwa-san, and she said it was totally fine!"

"Idiot..." Yumi sighed, frowning slightly as the two sat in one of the seats closer to the exit. But then she sighed again and smiled, looking slightly tired.

"Yu-chan, have you been sleeping well lately?" Ema asked. Yumi did have a history of sicknesses, and insomnia, just like her mother.

"Yes! Of course! No need to worry!" Yumi waved it off, putting on a brave face as the train started to move out of the station. "You're always a worrywart, just like Juli," she petted the squirrel's fur, laughing slightly as Juli made a noise of annoyance. "Oh, he never really liked me, did he?"

"He's just embarrassed Yu," Ema said. "Right Juli?" The squirrel only hissed again.

"Ahhh, Ema, we're here!" Yumi looked more excited than Ema did as the rounded the final corner.

"Oh! The movers are already here.. Come on Yu!" Ema grabbed Yumi's hand, making sure Juli was safe on her shoulder before the two started running towards the entrance of their new home. "Excuse me! Um..."

"Ah, hello!" The man who spoke was quite tall, around 30 years of age, with a little boy by his side. "I already had your luggage carried up to your rooms. My name is Masaomi, the oldest, and this is Wataru, the youngest."

"Nice to meet you! I didn't know I'd have two older sisters!" Wataru giggled.

"Actually I'm not..." Yumi silenced herself, playing along and smiling back. "Yes, hello!"

"Please take care of us from now on!" Ema bowed, tugging on Yumi and signaling for her to bow as well.

"We'll be relying on you two as well," Masaomi replied.

After the little introduction, Masaomi showed both Yumi and Ema to their rooms, where boxes of their things were waiting to be unpacked. "Ema-chan, I'll be unpacking for the rest of the day, could you tell everyone that?" Yumi asked, leaning in the middle of Ema's doorframe.

"Are you sure Yu-chan?" Ema asked, cocking her head to the side. "I thought you wanted to meet them..."

"Well.. Actually..." Yumi blushed, fiddling with her fingers. "I'm sort of.. Scared..."

"Scared? Why?" Ema raised an eyebrow.

"I just am okay!" Yumi coughed out, looking quite flustered. "I'll see you later!" Then with that, she ran off in the direction of her room, which on the other side of the floor.

"Ahhhh, I'm so stupid!" Yumi murmured to herself, finally reaching her room after running down a flight of stairs, and plopping down on her bed. "I'm only scared because... Because-!" She bit her lip and rolled onto her side. "The oldest brother is so handsome, it's scary! The others must be like that too!" She yelled into her pillow to muffle her voice. After a couple minutes in that position, she got up, throwing her white cardigan off and opening up a nearby box. "Might as well..." She sighed.

"Ugh..." After unpacking everything, and missing the opportunity to meet the rest of the household, Yumi had fallen asleep at her new desk. It had grown very warm in her room, since she had been moving boxes, putting things up in the shelves, rearranging furniture... So now she was only in her bra and shorts, with a small electric fan cooling her off in the corner. "AH?!" A buzz, presumably her doorbell, woke her up. "I'm coming!" She yawned, half awake, as she got up from her desk chair to answer the door, totally forgetting the state she was in.

"You're Yumi-chan, right? Ema's friend?" The person at the door was none other than Masaomi, with a couple of others behind him. "We'll Yumi-chan, meet-" he cut himself off, coughing a bit. "Yumi-chan, you aren't.. D-dressed appropriately..."

"Huh?" Yumi looked down, realizing what he meant, and her face turned a bright shade of red. "S-sorry!" She shut the door quickly, pulling her shirt back on, and opening the door again. "I'm so sorry... Bad first impression..." She bowed, very, very embarrassed.

"It's alright!" A blond man, who was dressed as a monk, came to the front. "I didn't mind," he winked, causing Yumi to uncomfortably step back a bit.

"Kaname..." Another blond, this time with glasses, spoke up. "Please forgive him, he tends to be flirty. I am Ukyo, I work as a lawyer, Kaname over there is a monk. Nice to meet you, Yumi-chan." He smiled, which reassured Yumi, just a little bit.

"You have nice hair, Yumi-chan. I am Louis," a pale man waved from the back. "I'd like to arrange your hair some time, if that's alright."

"Y-yes! Sure!" Yumi bowed again, a bit overwhelmed.

"You missed dinner, would you like for me to send someone up with it?" Masaomi asked once introductions were over. "You can meet the rest of the family as well, if that's what you'd like."

"If I'm not too much of a bother," Yumi murmured, "I-I'd like that."

"Alright then," Masaomi turned to leave, a small smile on his face.

"W-wait! Masaomi-san?" Yumi called out, impulsively grabbed onto his sleeve, like she always did with Ema. "S-sorry um.." She let go, fumbling with her words. "T-thank you for letting me stay here, with Ema," she bowed once more. (It was becoming a habit now.) "How can I repay you?"

"There's no need, Yumi-chan," Masaomi laughed and ruffled her hair. "And, call me Brother if you would like to, after all, since you're living here now, you're practically like family!"

"Thank you... Brother!" A warm feeling was spreading throughout Yumi's chest, one she hasn't felt in quite awhile. And once Masaomi left, she flopped down on her bed again, biting her lip as she smiled and rolled around, squealing a bit. Was this what it was like to have siblings? Hm, it felt... Nice.

A couple minutes later, there was doorbell. "Coming!" Yumi called, wrapped in blankets. She waddled over to the door, opening it up to be met with her classmate, Yuusuke, and another Asahina brother.

"Eh?! Yumi-chan?!" Yuusuke looked quite shocked. "You're Ema's friend?"

"Where have you been the past year, of course I'm her friend!" Yumi joked, glad to see a somewhat familiar face. "Asahina Yuusuke.. Can't believe I didn't notice that before. Oh! Sorry, um, what's your name..?" She asked the other one.

"Subaru," he said, handing her a tray of food. "Here, it's your dinner." He didn't look at her directly as she took the tray and placed it on her desk.

"Thanks, Subaru-kun, Yuusuke-kun," Yumi said automatically, after throwing her blankets off. "Ah! Sorry!" She apologized again. "I didn't ask of it was okay to call you guys that..."

"It's... Fine...?" Yuusuke rubbed the back of his head, his words coming out more as a question rather than a statement. "Well, whatever. Night, Yumi!" He waved, walking past Subaru and heading toward his room.

"Uh, do you need something, Subaru-kun?" Yumi asked, noticing that the older boy was still there.

"What? No no I'm fine.." Subaru waved a hand. "Uh- Goodnight, I guess.." He said awkwardly.

"Yeah, goodnight!" Yumi replied, just as awkward, watching as the door closed with a 'click!' 'What was that?' Yumi thought, her face heating up once more.

"Haaaa, that was nice..." Yumi cooed, once again wrapped in blankets as she sat at her desk, finishing the last of her soup. "I wonder who cooked this... Whoever did, I must thank them tomorrow..." Then she looked over to her clock. It was already 10! "Ah, that late already? I must go take a shower now..." She picked up her tray, leaving her blankets hanging on the back of her chair, and got into her slippers, opening the door and closing it behind her as she made her way to the first floor, where she assumed the kitchen would be.

"This complex is huge.." Yumi pouted, whining slightly as she got into the elevator, pressing the first floor button with her elbow. Se started humming, just to keep herself entertained, when the elevator door opened on the 3rd floor.

"Eh? Oh, hello there," a man with white hair and another who looked like his twin, but with black hair like Yumi's, got into the elevator with her. "You must be Yumi?"

"Ah! Yes!" She replied, bowing, (again!) trying not to drop the tray.

"I am Asuza," said the one with the black hair. "This is my twin, Tsubaki."

"So you're going to live with us too?" Tsubaki grinned, putting an arm around Yumi's shoulder, looking down at her because of the height difference.

"I guess so..." Yumi nodded, smiling awkwardly and attempted to remove Tsubaki's arm, but it was quite hard without seeming rude.

"It was nice meeting you Yumi!" The twins said after the long, and awkward elevator ride.

"If you need someone to sleep with you, I'm free," Tsubaki winked, earning a bonk on the head from Asuza once they separated.

"Y-yeah..." Yumi laughed nervously, rushing to the kitchen. "Ahh, all these brothers are so... So..." She trailed off, putting the dishes in the sink and sighing, exiting and making her way up again. "They all making me flustered," she murmured, putting her hands to her red cheeks as she made her way back to her room, this time using the stairs.

"I wonder if Ema-chan is still up..." Yumi said aloud, quickly getting all her toiletries before making her way to the bathroom on her floor. "Ah! Ema-chan!" She smiled and waved to the girl, calling her over.

"You're taking a bath too?" Ema asked. "Do you want to go first?"

"No it's okay! You can go first," Yumi reassured her, running ahead to make sure that no one was using the bathroom. "Is anyone-" right as she opened the door, her eyes found themselves staring at a half-naked Subaru. "Ah- Ah- Ah-!" She squeaked, stepping back and blushing furiously.

"Eh? What's-" Subaru raised an eyebrow and stepped out of the bathroom slightly. "Oh. I'm- sorry!" He apologized, stepping back in.

"I-it's fine! Sorry for disturbing you, Subaru-kun!" Yumi squeaked again, running back over to Ema.

"Yumi-chan? What's..?"

"Nothing!"

"Okay..." And so, the two waited behind a wall, when Ema picked up the sounds of Asuza and Tsubaki having a... Conversation.

Yumi gasped as Ema gestured for her to listen.

"I can't hold it in anymore... I love you!" They heard Tsubaki say, and their eyes grew wide.

"Hey, what's up..?" Subaru came around the corner, towel-drying his hair.

"Um..." Ema was at a loss for words. Then the twins came up the stairs.

"Ah! I'm sorry we were... Um..." Yumi fumbled with her toiletries in her hands. "We support you two!" She bowed quickly. "W-we're family r-right?"

"Eh? What are you talking about?" Tsubaki asked.

"We... We overheard your conversation.." Ema admitted. "Sorry..."

"Oh," Tsubaki smirked. "That conversation. Don't worry, it's a mutual love," he wrapped his arms around Asuza, much to the surprise of Subaru, Ema, and Yumi, and kissed his twin on the lips.

Ema immediately took off, saying something about sleep. At this, Tsubaki started to laugh! "Ha, the looks on your faces! We were just practicing a script!"

"A... Script...?" Yumi looked very confused.

"Yes, those two are voice actors," Subaru sighed. "Sorry, we brothers must seem.. Strange."

"Oh no! Not at all!" Ema piped up, coming back.

"It must be hard, coping with all 13 of us..."

"Not at all, in fact, Ema wanted some brothers," Yumi smiled slightly.

"Well, Um, g-goodnight!" Ema bowed once more, rushing off without showering.

"What about you Yumi-chan?" Tsubaki grinned. "Are you going to take a shower? Would you like for me to join yo-" Asuza hit the back of his head, and Tsubaki let out a whine. "Asuza! I was just kidding!"

"You're making her uncomfortable," Asuza sighed. And so, the twins bid Subaru and Yumi goodnight, heading off to their own rooms.

"Um..." Neither Subaru or Yumi moved, the two were only awkwardly staring at the floor. "G-goodnight!" They said at the same time. But as Subaru started walking towards his room, and Yumi to the bathroom, the blocked each other's way.

"You go to the left and I'll go to the right?" Yumi suggested, laughing a bit,

"Ye-yeah," Subaru coughed out, the two finally getting past each other. "Night... Yumi-chan.."

"Goodnight, Subaru-kun!" Yumi waved, the two separating. 'Haaa, how awkward...' Yumi shook her head, entering the bathroom and shutting the glass door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

"G'morning..." Yumi yawned as she walked down the stairs, already in her school uniform. Today, her hair was up in a low ponytail, and her bangs were braided off to the side. "Oh? Can I help cook too, brother?" She asked Ukyo, who was the first one up and already busy working in the kitchen. And it was only 5 AM too!

"Brother- are you- me?" Ukyo turned around quickly, surprised to see Yumi there instead of Ema. He smiled softly though, nodding a bit. "Alright then, do you mind bringing out the knives and chopping these up for me?" He asked, gesturing at a pile of vegetables.

"Okay..." Yumi said sleepily, taking one of the extra aprons and one of the knives in the drawers before slowly chopping up the vegetables, slowly trying to wake herself up.

"Ema-chan~" She waved with her free hand at the other girl as she came downstairs. "Look~" This earned a quiet giggle from Ema, who also started to help with serving rice. Finally, Yumi finished with her slow cutting, and finally dropped the vegetables into the individual soup bowls like Ukyo had told her.

"Good morning!" She told Wataru once he came downstairs.

"Ah, good morning! I'm so happy I'll be having meals with my two big sisters from now on!" Wataru giggled, taking his seat at the table.

"Um.. Good morning!" Yumi and Ema greeted Yuusuke and Subaru simultaneously, only to receive two "Yeahs" back.

"How rare that Yuusuke wakes up early enough for breakfast," Ukyo smirked, a bit amused.

"Shut up..." Yuusuke grumbled, plopping down on his seat.

Yumi went ahead, luckily avoiding rush hour on the trains, and managed to get to school earlier than planned. So she spent that time catching up on schoolwork she had missed when she was sick a couple days back. "Ahhh... If only I had asked for help..." She moaned, covering her head with her hands, lightly hitting her forehead against her desk.

"And if only you weren't sick so often," Ema scolded her, finally arriving with Yuusuke in tow. Yumi whined a bit, latching onto Ema's sleeve and giving her the puppy dog eyes. "No Yumi, I won't do your school work for you..."

"Emaaaaaaa," Yumi pouted, letting go and allowing her friend to sit down in the desk next to her.

"Yumiiiiiiii," Ema replied, a small smile on her face. Honestly, the two had been together for so long, the only person they could refuse was each other.

'What a weird friendship,' Yuusuke thought, shaking his head as the rest of the class filed in.

"I won't accept it!" Yumi turned around quickly, giving Yuusuke a weird look. The red head had just suddenly yelled out in class. "Ah! Nothing!" Yuusuke apologized, covering his head in embarrassment. Luckily the bell rang after that, and it was time for everyone to head home.

"I'll see you guys at home!" Yumi said, packing up her stuff.

"Ah? You're not coming home with us?" Ema asked, looking slightly confused.

"Nope, I have a club meeting today," Yumi explained, holding up a sheet of paper with "**MUSIC CLUB MEETING TODAY, AFTER SCHOOL IN THE MUSIC ROOM**," written on it in big, bold letters.

"I never knew you were in the music club..." Yuusuke murmured, glaring slightly at some guys that were giving him looks.

"Well, you never asked did you?" Yumi joked, giving a wave before heading off.

"Ah! Yumi-sempai!" Kairi Fujioka, a 1st year student with bright pink hair was one of the 4 other members of the music club, besides Yumi. "You're here!" She exclaimed, her brown eyes sparkling.

"And you're late," Midori Hanajima was the oldest of the group, a 3rd year student. She had short blond hair that was always pinned back, with sharp green eyes.

"You're still wearing those contacts?" Reiko and Reika Nanase were two fraternal twins in their 2nd year with Yumi. Reiko looked just like their mother, with shaggy black hair, and blue eyes. Reika on the other hand had wavy, long red hair, just like their father, but with the same blue eyes. "You looked so much better with glasses," Reiko said, lazily strumming on his bass, his legs intwined with his sister's.

"Yes yes, hello everyone," Yumi rolled her eyes, laughing a bit. "What are we doing today?"

"Well, Kairi needs help with her bass playing, so Reiko will be helping her on that. Reika needs to learn how to keep up with the timing so I'll be her instructor, and you," Midori looked up from her drumsticks, pointing one at Yumi. "need to work on your high notes. Alright, everyone get that? 2 hours of practice. Then you're all free to go!"

"Aww, I could've done this at home," Yumi pouted, grabbing a pair of headphones and the small portable boom box before heading over to the sound proof recording studio they had in the corner. (Courtesy of Midori's family, they were pretty rich.)

Two hours came and went, and finally it was time for the run through. "Are you guys ready?" Midori barked. The rest of the club members thought she was like a drill sergeant! "Yes ma'am!" The rest of them replied, Midori tapping her drum sticks together to countdown.

"3, 2, 1!" Immediately Reiko, Reika, and Kairi started to play, followed by Midori, and the Yumi, who was singing. To Yumi, this was the best practice they had since the beginning of the year, and they had sounded so much better. And with Kairi on backup vocals, it felt like they really were a band, rather than just a club.

Once the run through ended, consisting of 6 songs, Midori looked very proud. "For once, our practice was perfect," she nodded and stood up. "Alright! Meeting adjourned, everyone go home!"

"Bye guys!" Yumi smiled, waving as she exited. "See you all tomorrow~" She felt very invigorated, and was practically bouncing around! She took out her phone, sending a text to Ema.

_Just finished! Heading to the grocery store, I need some snacks! Want anything? :~) - Yu_

Just minutes later, she got a reply back.

_Heading there too! Meet up at the front? - Ema_

_Alright, don't be too slow! - Yumi x_

And so, Yumi began walking to the grocery story, which wasn't that far from the school, but far enough to make her tired. "Ema-chan!" She waved, starting to run once she spotted the girl.

"Yumi-chan!" Ema laughed and steadied Yumi, Juli hissing as he adjusted his position on top of Ema's head.

"So, what are you here for?" Yumi asked, adjusting her bag's strap.

"Subaru-san's birthday is today, and Ukyo-san put me in charge of the cake!" Ema sighed.

"Eh? It's Subaru-kun's birthday today?" Yumi clapped her hands excitedly. "Can I help with the cake?"

"Of course Yumi-chan! That's why I called you here," Ema giggled, the two of them heading inside.

"Wah, so heavy..." Yumi whined, stumbling a bit. The weight of the ingredients and her snacks were slowing her down.

"I bet Subaru-san could carry this easily..." Ema crouched down, setting the bags on the ground to rest for a bit.

"Yeah, doing roadwork and stuff.." Yumi crouched down beside her. "He really is amazing.."

"You noticed?"

The two girls turned around, thinking they had heard someone. "Eh...?" Yumi raised an eyebrow. "I thought someone was there..."

"So did I..." Ema murmured, the two of them picking the grocery bags back up and resuming the walk home.

"Ah! Louis-san!" Ema found Louis first, passed out on the steps. "Are you alright?" She and Yumi rushed over to him, checking him over to make sure he was okay.

"I'm fine.." He said, getting up. "I wanted to sleep on the sofa, but as you can see I didn't make it.." After a pause, he asked, "May I arrange your hair? It's Subaru-kun's birthday is today, and I'd like to make you both cuter..."

"S-sure!" Ema stuttered.

"I'll put away the groceries first..." Yumi murmured, picking up the bags, staggering a bit as she went downstairs while Louis fussed over Ema's hair first.

"Ah! Ema-chan, you look so pretty~" Yumi said, squealing a bit as Louis left to go get another curling iron.

"T-thank you, Yu-chan," Ema blushed, fiddling with her fingers. They were interrupted though, by Fuuto bursting in and asking where Louis was.

"He said he'll be back later..." Yumi murmured, not recognizing him. "And who are you?"

"I'm Fuuto Asahina! How do you not know that?" He peered closer. "Wait, who are you? Someone's girlfriend?"

"No!" Yumi shook her head. "I'm Ema's friend..."

"Ah!" Fuuto switched his gaze to Ema. "Wait, you changed your hairstyle didn't you?"

'He forgot all about me...' Yumi pouted, feeling a bit dejected. But then she glared up at the boy, after he had tricked Ema. Then he left.

"See ya~ My p-re-tt-y older sister and her friend~"

"Well..." Yumi huffed. "He was rude."

"C'mon Yu, we have to get started on the cake..." Ema sighed, getting up and pulling Yumi over to the kitchen.

A little while later, Yumi and Ema had finally finished baking. Ema had done all the foundations for the cake, while Yumi did the decorating and all the little details. "Wah, it looks amazing Ema-chan!" Yumi clapped her hands together excitedly, the two sharing a hug before the Asahina brothers, minus Fuuto, arrived.

"Thank you again, for doing our hair," Yumi said quietly to Louis. In the middle of their baking, Louis had come back and finished up Ema's hair. He had also curled Yumi's hair into ringlets that fell down her back naturally.

"It's no problem," Louis reassured her.

"Louis-nii-san, who is this?" A silver haired man came over, one Yumi assumed she hadn't met before.

"Ah! Iori, this is Yumi, Ema's friend. She'll also be living with us," Louis smiled, Yumi giving a little bow.

"I see, it's nice meeting you Yumi," Iori said. Now it was time for them to move the cake onto the table, where Subaru could blow out his candles.

It wasn't as awkward as Yumi expected it to be, it was quite fun really. Though she did get a bit of cake on her nose (God knows how) which Tsubaki cheekily wiped off for her. Of course, it made her blush, and it attracted more attention than it should have.

"Yumi, are you alright?" Asuza asked, then giving his brother a look.

"Yes- F-fine!" Yumi waved her hands in defense, laughing nervously.

"Having a family is great, isn't it?" Yumi sighed happily. They had all finished the cake, and now it was time for them to rest. Right now, Yumi was in Ema's room, and the two were just simply chatting.

"But it's noisy too," Ema giggled, looking through her camera. "Though, celebrating a birthday noisily is really fun!"

"But Rintarou was always overseas, wasn't he?" Yumi frowned, feeling around for her cellphone. "Eh? My phone isn't here!"

"Maybe you left it in the living room?" Ema said, still looking fondly at her pictures.

"Yeah, I'll be back in a bit!" Yumi bounced off of the bed, exiting the room and going out to search for her phone.

"So, Subaru, what do you think of our little sister's friend hmm~?" She heard Tsubaki say loudly from down below in the living room.

".. She's... Annoying!" Yumi's eyes widened a bit, as she kept eavesdropping. "It's always been us guys right? But ever since she and Ema have jumped into the picture, I always have to be careful in the bathroom, and I can never take off my top while I train!"

"So... That's what he thinks of us..." Yumi murmured, crossing her arms a bit as she stared at the floor. Her head snapped up though, when she heard someone come up the stairs... And it was none other than.. Subaru.

"S-sorry!" She squeaked, turning and running back to her room, forgetting about her phone. "Huh... Maybe coming here and moving in was a bad idea after all..." She sighed and sat in the middle of her carpet, papers scattered around her. She slumped forward and held her head in her hands, jumping a bit when her doorbell rang. There Yumi found Tsubaki and Asuza supporting a knocked out Subaru. "Is he.. Alright..?"

"Yeah," Tsubaki nodded. "But forget what he said earlier, he just had a bit too much to drink..."

"He didn't mean anything, it's only because Tsubaki," Asuza shot a look at his brother. "..was teasing him."

"Don't worry though, he's gonna be punished," Tsubaki stuck out his tongue and winked. The twins bid Yumi goodnight, basically dragging Subaru back to his room.

"Punished..?" Yumi raised an eyebrow, closing her door. "What sort of punishment...?"

* * *

**A/N: ;3; Uwah, sorry for the crappy chapter guys! It'really really hard to insert Yumi into the events of the anime, ya know? Well, I hope you guys still enjoyed it! Now review, review, review! **


	3. Chapter 3

"Ahhhh, what am I gonna do?!" Yumi clutched her head in her hands, her registration form for her preferred college in front of her. "Ema-channnnnn!" The form had been passed out last week, and Yumi had everything but a Parent/Guardian signature. Sure, they were only in their second year, but it was best to think ahead as their school's headmaster said.

"Yu-chan, Yuusuke-kun already said you could have Masaomi-san sign your form!" Ema sighed, tapping Yumi's forehead. "Weren't you listening?"

"I was but... He's already signing yours and Yuusuke's!" Yumi blubbered, pulling at her cheeks. "I'm being too much of a bother already..." She set her head down on her desk, moaning quietly.

"Yumi, Masa-bro doesn't mind an extra," Yuusuke shrugged. "He already has 12 other siblings, what's the deal with 2 more?"

"That's the problem!" Yumi tried to keep her voice down. "I'm not related to you guys at all! I'm just a friend..."

"If you were just a friend, Masaomi-san wouldn't have let you stay at Sunshine Residences!" Ema scolded her, tapping Yumi's forehead again. "So stop being so depressed!"

"I guess you're right..." Yumi huffed and swatted Ema's hand away, gathering her papers in her hands before getting up. "Alright then... See you at home Yuusuke..." And so, she followed Ema out of the classroom, the two girls starting on the journey home from school.

"Ema-chan, I've been thinking, I don't know if I should stay with you and your brothers or find a college in America..." Yumi said quietly, slipping into her outside shoes and putting her school shoes inside her locker. "I feel sort of... Like a bother sometime, you know? And since I'm not related to you guys at all, it's like..." She trailed off, not knowing how to put the rest into words. It had only been a couple months, why was she feeling this way all of a sudden?

"Yumi-chan, what are you saying?" Ema frowned, slowly closing her locker door with a small 'click!' "What's gotten into you? Are you sick again? Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yes I did Ema, and no I'm not sick..." Well, that was a half-lie. Yumi had been lacking sleep for the past week, fretting over things that she shouldn't have to be fretting about. "Ah, never mind, I was just rambling." She laughed it off, putting on a cheery smile. Ema gave her a doubtful look, but shrugged it off as they made their way to the train station for the ride home.

* * *

"Ah! Thanks so much Masao- I mean, brother!" Yumi stuttered. Later that night, after she had erased and rewrote her college preference form, she had caught Masaomi while he was on break.

"It's not a problem," Masaomi smiled, ruffling her hair a bit. "But are you sure about your college choices...? That first one seems pretty... Far.."

"I think it's the best for me," Yumi smiled, though on the inside she wasnt so sure herself. "I can leave you guys, I mean it's one less person to take care of right? And, I can further develop my talent..."

"Yumi-chan, remember that you aren't a bother alright?" That was the only thing he said before he gave her another smile and left.

"Yeah..." Yumi sighed, holding her form in one hand as she made her way to the kitchen, getting some coffee to wake herself up. "I can't sleep tonight anyways... Not like this..."

The next morning, it was time for the parent-teacher conference. Yumi had slight bags under her eyes, and her hair was more tangled and messy than usual. "I'm getting this cut soon," she frowned, twisting her split ends in-between her fingers as she walked slightly behind Ema and Yuusuke.

"Oi, Yumi, hurry up!" Yuusuke called, he and Ema already far ahead of Yumi.

"R-right!" She called back, picking up the pace to catch up with her two friends.

"E-eh? Kana-bro?" Yuusuke seemed quite surprised when Kaname, not Masaomi, showed up for the conference.

"Ah yes, Masaomi was called away for an emergency, and I just so happened to be free~" Kaname smirked, sending a wink at both Ema and Yumi. "Thank you, Kishinda-sensei for taking care of my useless brother and my two cute little sisters," he said as he sat down next to the teacher.

"So Ema, your top choice is the college that Suba-chan attends hmm? If it's just because of him, I'm going to cry!" Kaname mused, scanning across their forms. "Ah Yuusuke, your choice of preferred colleges is blank..."

"I.. Want to go there too!" The red head blurted out, looking flustered.

"Eh?" Kaname raised an eyebrow.

"I want to go to the same college!" Yuusuke repeated, almost yelling.

"Alright alright, no need to be so loud.." Kaname joked, then looking at Yumi's form. "Ah Yumi-chan? What's this college? I've never heard of it..."

"It's a college in America..." Yumi explained quietly. "It has an excellent music program my mother said, and it has a foreign exchange student program as well..."

"I.. See," Kaname nodded, setting her form down. Ema, to say the least, looked quite shocked and wide eyed. Yuusuke on the other hand was still wallowing in his own embarrassment.

"Well then, I believe this conference is over..." Kinshinda-sensei dismissed the four of them, allowing them to continue on with their day.

"Yumi!" Ema frowned as she and Yumi headed to their next class. "You never told me about this! America, why there of all places? I thought you didn't want to go!"

"Ema-chan, I'm just thinking about my future," Yumi fiddled with her fingers, chewing slightly on her lower lip. "Besides, I still have other choices okay? That one college just happens to be one of them..."

Ema huffed, not fully believing it. "Fine... But wherever you go, I'm going too!"

"E-ema-chan!" Yumi swatted her friend's shoulder a bit. "Don't say that, for all I know, you could totally ditch me and run off with one of your brothers!"

"EH?! What do you mean by that Yu-chan?!"

"Um... Nothing!"

"YU-CHAN!"

* * *

"Auntie Mio?" Later that night, Yumi received a call from her Aunt, the one her mother was supposed to be staying with. "Is everything alright? How's mama? I tried calling her last night... She wouldn't pick up!" Yumi was taken aback by the sudden sobbing on the other end. She attempted to calm her aunt down, to try and get her to explain what was going on. In the end, Mio finally calmed down enough to tell the story through her sobs.

"Drowned in the ocean! Fell off the boat! I wasn't even there!" Mio yelled hysterically, anguish clear in her voice. "She's dead Yumi! My sister is dead!"

"Haha Auntie Mio, that's really funny," Yumi laughed, refusing to believe her. "Mama wouldn't drown, she knows how to swim well."

"I'm telling you, she died!" Mio yelled again. "Dead! Dead, dead, dead!" She broke out into hysterical sobs, screaming about why couldn't it be her. Yumi quietly ended the call and clenched her phone in her hand, numbly heading downstairs to the kitchen.

"Eh?" A lovely woman was hugging Ema. Yumi was confused at first. Who was she?

"Ah, Yumi, this is Hikaru, the fourth Asahina brother..." Ukyo sighed.

"This is Yumi?" Hikaru let go of Ema to give Yumi a hug. "My my, she's very cute."

"Thanks.." Yumi said robotically, still holding her phone tightly. She couldn't even react to the fact that this beautiful woman was actually a man.

"Oh, and there's a package here for you," Hikaru took out a lavender box from his bag, much like Ema's package, and handed it over with a smile. "Sent with love~" Yumi sent back a weak smile, mechanically turning back around and heading back up to her room.

"Yu-chan?" Ema chased after her, a curious look on her face. "Yu-chan, is something wrong?"

"Lets go to your room first..." Yumi said quietly, not looking directly at her.

Once they arrived at Ema's room, Yumi collapsed in the middle of her room, dropping her phone and package and sobbing into her hands.

"Yu-chan?! Yu-chan!" Ema kneeled down beside Yumi, dropping her package and wrapping her arms around the sobbing girl. "Yu-chan, what happened? Tell me!"

"Auntie Mio said mama died..." Yumi blubbered, somewhat childishly. "But Auntie Mio is just joking right? Auntie Mio is joking... Mama's not dead. She's just sleeping probably, Auntie Mio probably just got confused..."

Ema just sat there, trying to console Yumi. What should she say?! What should she do? She had never handled a death before... Argh, it was all so frustrating!

"Yumi... Yumi I'm sorry..." Ema whispered quietly, rubbing circle's on Yumi's back. "I'm so sorry... But I don't think your auntie would joke about something like this..."

Yumi's phone loudly buzzed, and Ema quickly checked it. It was a text from Auntie Mio.

_Funeral is in 2 weeks. She'll be buried here. Sorry. _

And that's all it said. Nothing more, nothing less. Ema set the phone back down, knowing that it was not the time to discuss it, and went back to try and console Yumi.

"Auntie Mio is joking... Mama is okay... Mama is okay..." Yumi kept repeating those words over and over, as if it was a mantra. She clung onto Ema, sobbing into the girl's shoulder. Eventually, she quieted down, tiring herself out and falling asleep. But she was still crying. Ema sighed, it was painful to see Yumi in this state. She brushed aside her bangs, giving Yumi another hug, before gently pulling her up. Luckily, Yumi was light and easy to carry, even for Ema.

"We're going to help you get through this, Yu-chan," Once Ema had gotten Yumi to her room (without waking her up!) and tucked her into bed, she sat down on the edge, smiling sadly. "I promise..." She grabbed Yumi's hand, feeling like her heart was breaking as Yumi whimpered in her sleep, gave it a squeeze before leaving the room.

Now, what's going to happen? You have a 15 year old girl who's mother just died, another 15 year old girl who's her best friend, and their 13 other stepbrothers. It's bound to be chaotic, and depressing.

* * *

**A/N: what am I even doing anymore SADGALFHAKSLF. Er well this idea just popped into my head soooooo? Oh and a special thanks to Latez! ;D You know whyyyy~ Oh and I updated the summary, these events are taking place a year before the wedding, so I'll have time to add this (hopefully)) character-development arc! :D I hope you guys enjoyed this ((crappy- /dead)) chapter! And remember to review, review, review! **


	4. Chapter 4

The week continued on. Yumi acted normal, well, not exactly. She'd call her mother, leave messages, and acted like her mother would pick up. "Ema, mama's not answering my calls, she just be very busy at her job or something," she laughed, lying on the couch after school with Ema and Masaomi sitting across from her.

"Masaomi-san, do you see what I mean?" Ema whispered to the older man, looking at Yumi with a worried look on her face. "It's like she isn't even acknowledging that her mother is... D-dead..."

"She's going through the stages of grief, Ema-chan," Masaomi said seriously, putting his elbows on his knees and leaning forward. "First and current stage, denial." He sighed. "It's going to take a long time for her to heal... When did you say the funeral was? We'll have to fly her over..."

"It's next week," Ema bit her lip, tearing her gaze away from her seemingly cheerful best friend. "But, Masaomi-san, I don't... I don't want her to..." She trailed off, clenching her hands into fists.

"Ema-chan," Masaomi put a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "We'll have to inform everyone else of the situation. But don't worry, as you said, we're all going to help her get through this."

"What are you guys talking about?" Yumi stuck out her tongue, playing with her cellphone as she rolled over to face them. "I heard my name~" she giggled, a little bit too out of her usual character.

"Oh n-nothing!" Ema stuttered, laughing nervously and waving it off. "We're just talking about America... And how you should visit your Aht next week!"

"That sounds nice," Yumi nodded, sitting up. "I can see Mama too! Are you going to come with me Ema-chan?"

"I'm afraid I can't," Ema frowned. "I don't have a passport..."

"That's fine, I shall go with you," Masaomi smiled, standing up. "Alright then, Yumi, you should go pack. I'll inform the hospital that I'll shall be taking a few days off, and we'll head to America!"

"Awesome!" Yumi clapped her hands, immediately getting up as well. "Thank you, brother!" She bowed, then ran off to go pack.

"I'll be able to handle this," Masaomi reassured Ema. "Though, I'm not so sure how the others will..."

"I just want to help my best friend get through this," Ema said, a determined, yet grim expression on her face. "That's all I ask for, Masaomi-san."

"Then we'll all do our best, for Yumi's and your sake."

A couple days later, around 5 AM, Yumi and Masaomi were off to America! Luckily, Yumi was pardoned from school, and Masaomi had managed to catch those couple days off. "Do you have to go?" Wataru whined. "Can't I go with you?"

"I'd like for you to," Yumi whispered, bending down to his height. "But Brother over there doesn't want it!" She puffed her cheeks out. "But I'll be sure to get a souvenir or something!" She ruffled his hair, laughing.

To everyone, it seemed as if Yumi had no idea what was going to happen.

But on the inside, she knew. She refused to accept the truth though. 'Mama's not dead... She's not dead... There isn't a funeral.. We're just going to visit...' Those were the main thoughts whizzing through her mind.

"...mi? Yumi?" Masaomi snapped her out of her thoughts, "Are you ready to go? We need to get to the gate soon."

"R-right!" Yumi said her last goodbyes. She gave Ema an extra long hug. "I'll be back in a couple days! You have Juli to take watch out for you though, so don't worry!"

"Don't worry about me!" Ema smiled. 'It's you everyone should be worrying about...' She thought, waiting until Masaomi and Yumi disappeared from sight before joining the other Asahinas.

By the time Masaomi and Yumi were ready to board, Yumi's cheerful demeanor disappeared completely, being replaced by a depressed one. "I don't want to go..." She whispered quietly, looking up at Masaomi, who was giving her an empathetic look. "I don't want to see her..." She trailed off.

"So you do know why we're going," Masaomi said softly, placing a hand on top of her head and trying to comfort her. "Yumi, I truly am sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to bring her back," Yumi snapped. She shoved his hand off, before realizing what she had done and apologized. "I don't know what came over me..." She frowned, mentally scolding herself before following Masaomi into the gate leading to the plane.

"Auntie..." 12 hours later, around 1 PM a day behind Japanese time, Yumi met her Aunt with Masaomi by her side. Mio said nothing, eyeing Masaomi strangely, and turned, gesturing for them to follow her.

They navigated their way through the airport, getting into Mio's somewhat cramped car, and making their way to her home. "The funeral is tonight," Mio said, breaking the thick silence. "Yumi..."

Yumi didn't reply, leaning her head against the car window. She felt her hand being squeezed softly by Masaomi, but she still didn't offer any form of communication. She felt numb, almost like she was dead herself. She felt the need to laugh ironically, as she looked out the window and watched the beautiful Michigan scenery pass by. She couldn't even enjoy it, I mean, how could she? Her mother was dead, there was no way she'd be happy at a time like this.

That night passed in a blur. Yumi didn't even remember most of what had happened, she was too busy silently crying as she kneeled at the side of the coffin, clutching the side of it until her knuckles turned white, and once the time the coffin was lowered into the ground and the soil put on top of it, Yumi let out a choked, anguish-filled scream.

"Mama... Mama.." She sobbed, on her knees in front of the gravestone. "Mama... Come back... Please don't leave me..." She stayed there until Masaomi quietly picked her up, despite her protests.

"Yumi," Masaomi whispered, a little pained to see her like this. "Calm down... We have to go back home okay..?"

"No! Don't take me away!" Yumi screamed, not able to contain it anymore. "Mama! MAMA! NO! NO NO NO!"

The rest of the stay in America was not pleasant, to say the least.

* * *

**A/N: I KNOW IT'S A SHORT ASS CHAPTER BUT I HAD TO GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY. And I'm so sorry I haven't been updating! I recently started school, so you guys will probably either get a chapter every other week, or once a month. :( Im so sorry! But since it's Labor Day Weekend, I'll try and get another chapter up!**

**Edit: 9/20/13 AHAHAHA I KNOW I SAID I'D GET A CHAPTER UP ON LABOR DAY WEEKEND BUT I DIDNT AND I'M SO SORRY! I swear i'll get one up this month! Maybe... if I still have the inspiration to continue this and not start a new one... /cries**


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